The Vicaul
= The Vicaul = -- Taken from the December 2017 Rulebook, pages 46 & 47 -- —TAKE WHAT IS YOURS— The Vicaul are a hearty warrior people who live to the far northeast of Adelrune, along the southern shores and valleys of the wild lands of Eur. They survive primarily through fishing and raiding the coastal lands of the eastern Expanse. Indeed, since they have no means of mining ore, most of their metal weapons and armor are gained through raiding. Clad in furs from the mightiest of beasts and the bloodstained armor of slain enemies, the Vicaul know no fear. As a culture, the Vicaul are superstitious and intolerant of weakness, to the point that it is many clans’ custom to leave newborn children out in the woods the first night after birth. Those that survive are given names and welcomed as members into the clan; those that fail are left for the ravens. Southern, coastal Vicaul clans focus more of their time and energy on maritime raiding than northern clans do, and therefore those southern clans maintain a great awe and respect for the sea. They have earned a reputation for being an incredibly superstitious lot, even amongst the Vicaul. Additionally, they bear little love for their northern kinsmen, and during the dire months of winter are just as likely to raid inland, toward their fellow Vicaul, as they are to point their longships toward Cestrel or the mainland of the Expanse. Northern Vicaul clans are composed more of trappers and fishermen, along with a few yak herders that move their beasts up the valleys during the warmer seasons of the year. During the winter, the yaks can only survive because of the myriad hot springs that dot the northern valleys and fjords; these hot springs also warm the air during the warmer parts of the season enough to allow for a meager amount of farming to take place. During the coldest months of the year, the northern Vicaul hole up in their great-halls, and focus on the textile work that sheering their yaks provides. Although very few of the garments thus produced have much value as trade goods with people in more southerly climates, nothing can compare with the warmth they provide in the dead of winter. Passion and strength are the hallmarks of the Vicaul, so it is no surprise that both are represented in Vicaul death rites. The raider lifestyle of so many of the tribes has resulted in two distinct types of death rites to be found among the Vicaul: raiding-rites and hearth-rites. Both strongly feature the heart, which is the organ that the Vicaul see as the source of a person’s identity. As an interesting note, the same wide-roving lifestyle that leads to the division in these rites also exposes many Vicaul to a wide array of other cultures and lifestyles. As a result, it is not unusual for individual Vicaul to request a specific type of funeral that they have seen in another nation, or to ask for certain parts of those rites to be adapted into their eventual ceremony. POLITICAL OVERVIEW: THE VICAUL Government Type: Numerous, Rival Feudal Chiefdoms (led by warlord “kings”) Allies: The Gael Enemies: The Amalgamation, Cestrel Welcomed Bloodlines: Human, Half-Fae Persecuted Bloodlines: None Crimes: Murder, Theft, Breaking an Oath, Bribery, Vandalism, Heresy National Religion: The Old Ways EXAMPLE CHARACTER NAMES: MALE: Geir, Halldir, Torstein, Valdemar, Vidar, Yvar FEMALE: Aela, Astrid, Rannveig, Torhild, Vigdis, Yngvild Names and surnames often draw inspiration from the (out-of-game) Norse culture. Many surnames are descriptors, like “the Mighty” or “of the Tundra.” Some example surnames, though, are Agnarsson, Kjeldsen, and Thurstan. Courageous Vicaul *Caeli Oakenthorn * Iiyanger Estermann